Thousands more rural homes and businesses across Wiltshire to get access to gigabit capable broadband

Thousands of people in central and north Wiltshire are set to enjoy access to next generation gigabit capable broadband after a contract has been signed to upgrade the area's outdated infrastructure. This follows the award of a contract to Wessex Internet covering southern Wiltshire last year.

Building Digital UK (BDUK) has appointed telecoms provider Openreach to build the infrastructure as part of Project Gigabit, a £5 billion programme to upgrade digital connectivity in hard-to-reach areas of the country.

The Openreach contract will target places that are too expensive for providers to reach in their commercial build, and which would otherwise be left behind without access to next generation broadband connectivity.

Whilst detailed delivery plans are being developed, Openreach anticipate connecting 9,000 of premises over the course of the five-year contract. This means residents and businesses will have access to lightning-fast gigabit capable broadband to help grow the local economy, accelerate innovation and improve people's lives.

Cllr Ashley O'Neill, Cabinet Member for Broadband, said: We are delighted that a long-awaited contract has been awarded to deliver next generation broadband to thousands of homes and businesses in central and north Wiltshire.

Lightning-fast gigabit capable broadband connections have profound benefits for local people and businesses, and we look forward to supporting Openreach to achieve a successful rollout of this scheme and seeing the real difference it can make to people's lives.